Receptacle



Jan. v18, 1944. J. D. HOFFMAN ETAL 2,339,336

RECEPTACLE Filed oct. 4, 1940 Patented Jan. 18, 1944 RECEPTAOB' Joseph D. Hoffman, Kirkwood,` andvf'HarryLFey,

St. Louis, Mo., assignors to James B.- Kearney, Corporation, St. Louis, Mo.,` a corporation of Missouri Application October 4, 1940;' SerialNo.'359,672

3' Claims.

This invention relates generallyto receptacles andum'ore specically toreceptacles adapted to receive'fuse linkl-packagesof theV general-type disclosed in applicationforY United StateslLetters Patent Serial No. 315,906, filed in the name of Harry J. Fey, on January 27, 1940, now Patent 2,283,6f11issued- May 12,-l 1943,? the 'predominant object of the invention.being to 'provide an improved receptacle which' may be secured to an electric line pole, or the crossarmr thereof, or to any othersuitablesupport, in Vsuch manner that the -package contained.. therein and its contents are shielded from the effects 'of `bad weather conditions, and so that thepackage contained in the receptaclel is exposedto View from beneath the receptacle in orderthat Ythe presence or absence Y of fuse links iin the contained package 'may be noted from thel ground by a Vmaintenance man, or .other person in authority.

As is quite generally known to persons familiar with such matters various pieces of electrical protective equipment, vwhich require theuse of fuse links in their operation, are mounted on poles which support overhead electrical conductors. 1n the use of such pieces of electrical protective equipment the fuselinks thereof are ruptured by faults occurring: on the electrical lines with which the equipment is associated and when this happens the ruptured fuse links must be replaced by intact fuse links to'restore the service interrupted vby'blowing yof the fuse links of the protective equipment-` Applicationl for United States Letters Patent `.Serial No. 315,906, referred to above, discloses a package for-fuse links which is of such improved construction and .arrangement-that itfm'ay be conveniently carried about by a lineman, and which is characterized by the fact that the fuselinks contained in the package may be withdrawn therefrom by being drawn through a Wall ofthe 'package Without opening thepackage. Y

It lhas been conceived that a convenient manner. of providing fuse links for ready use when required is to mount on poles, or other supports, whichY support pieces of electrical protective equipment requiring fuse links, receptacles adapted to receive packages of fuse links. Thus Whenan' electrical fault occurs on a power line, Whichruptures the fuse link of aprotective device associated with .the line, intact fuse links will bealwaysV available at the location of the operated protective device for association with the protective device to replace the ruptured fuse link thereof.

Briefly stated the improved receptacle disclosed hereinv comprises `a, container of generally rectangular vshape-Which is open at its bottom and includesmeans for retaining a fuse link package Within the container. As stated above the receptacle is preferablyfmounted on a pole, or its crossarm, inanelevatedpesition adjacent to the iocatcn cf protective device which is, to bev supplied-Withlfuse'links taken from the -pa'cka'ge;

lThereceptacle isfclos'edat its vtop and at its sides` and ends so as to protectthe iuseflinkpa'ckage frombadwea'ther conditions.V Also, because-"ofy the lopen bottom -of thereceptacle, the bottom'of the fuse'linkipackage contained in the receptacle-,f through Which-tabs of the package'dfus'e links extend, is exposed to view froin beneath there-r cepta'cle' so that'aperson-in authority may determine from-'the ground at all times whether'or nottli'e required'rsupply offuse links is mairitained in the receptacle.`

Fig. 1 is a perspective view 0f the improved receptacle looking toward its open bottoniv andL showing Va iuselink package containedtherein; f Fig.-` 2 -isaside elevation ofthe receptacle illustratedlinlig. 1.-

Fig; 3 isl a-verti'cal section -takenon line :i4-3

tacle generally. The receptacle A, Which-is 'of' generally rectangular shape, is formed iromsheet metal'for other suitable materiaL'being closed at' its topf-sides,l andends,` andbeing-open at its bottoinftheftop"Wall, side walls,` and end walls vof the receptacle' being designated inthe drawing* bythe` reference characters Il, E, andr 3, respectively. The' -lower portion of `the receptacle A is'ilare'din'thedirectionoi the ldepth of the` receptacle,` the lower portions ofthe side walls 2 includingoutwardly and downwardly'inclinedv portionsa 'and portions 2b which extend downwardly fromf-the lower ends of'said inclined Wall' portions land which are disposed in substantial parallel relation with respect to the portions of the-side walls which are located above the lower, flared portions of said side walls.

The receptacle A may be constructed in' vari# cusVV ways, the 'particular construction shownV in the drawing, lwhich ispurely illustrative, involving producing-the receptacle from a single sheet of materia1`-bent'to the required shape and providedwith lapped portions 3 formed-on the end wallsr3 of-1 .thereceptaclel which are spot welded or otherwise.` secured together.' Also the'particular/ receptacle illustrated inthe drawingV in-V cludes*iianges formed on the top wall I, at oppositeends thereof, which are bent downwardl ly aga-instthe upper portions of the end walls 3' and are spotwelded orotherwise secured thereto.

Disposed Awithin' the receptacle A is a latchA element 4 which comprises a strip of spring ma-V terial; metal, for instance, which isA secured to' oneof thev sidewalls `2 of the" receptacle at the inner `face thereof by means of a 'rvet`5 or otherwis'e:"" Theatch elementi!! :isflo'catedI adjacent to one of the end walls 3 of the receptacle A and Y ceptacle.

to said vertically disposed upper latch portion -Y to provide a shoulder, and extended downwardly and outwardly from the inner end of said portion 4a are angular portions 4b and 4c.V The 'l0 lower angular portion 4c of saidlatch member 4 preferably extends slightly below the lower open end of the receptacle A, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, so that the lower portion of the latch member may be conveniently moved to the left in Fig. 3, toward the portions 2a and 2b of the adjacent side wall 2, to displace the shoulder provided by the latch portion 4a from the position it occupies in Fig. 3.

The receptacle A, has fixed thereto by rivets B, or otherwise, a supporting bracket l, said bracket including outwardly extended, angular portions 1' which are readily bendable so as to conform to shapes ofv supports to which the receptacle A may be secured. Obviously the bracket portions 1 may be secured to a support through the instrumentality of suitable fastening devices (not shown) which would be extended through the apertures 8 formed in said bracket portions 'l'.

In the use of the improved receptacle, said receptacle being mounted on a pole or its crossarm at an elevated point with respect to the ground, a package of lfuse links is introduced upwardly into the receptacle while the lower portion of the latch element is held in the displaced position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the fuse link package, which is designated by the reference character P in Fig. 1, has been completely introduced into the receptacle so that its top wall contacts with the top wall of said receptacle, the lower portion of the latch element 4 is released to permit its resiliency to return it to its normal position as shown by full lines in Fig. 3, and the horizontal latch portion 4a will engage the lower wall of the fuse link package, beneath same, to retain the fuse link package within the receptacle A. The bottom wall of the fuse link package P, and side walls of said fuse link package, are provided with displaceable portions, as is clearly set forth in application Serial No. 315,906, hereinbefore referred to, which normally retain the fuse links Within the package, and also the packaged fuse links are enclosed in containers which are provided with tabs T that extend through openings formed in the bottom wall of the fuse link package P, as shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to remove one of the packaged fuse links from the receptacle A for use with a protective device, the tab T of the selected fuse link is pulled downwardly whereby the fuse link will displace the displaceable portions of the fuse link package to provide an opening through which the fuse link may be withdrawn fronrthe package, the latch element 4 retaining the fuse link package within the receptacle during such withdrawal of a fuse link therefrom. Obviously, when all of the fuse links have been removed from a package P the lower portion of the latch element 4 may be displaced to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 whereupon the empty packagemay be removed and a full fuse link package substituted therefor Within the receptacle A.

The ared lower portion of the receptacle performs several purposes, one of which is that it facilitates convenient introduction of the fuse link package into the lower portion of the re- Also this lower flared portion of the receptacle A provides the required space to permit the displaceable portions of the side walls 4of the fuse link package P to move outwardly when fuse links retained in the package by these 'fdisplaceable portions of the side walls of the package are withdrawn from the package. Additionally the ared,'lower portion at one side of the receptacle provides space for displacement of the lower portion of the latch element 4 as has been previously explained herein. Finally the flared walls of the lower portion of the receptacle A function aswater sheds which conduct rainwater and other moisture away from the lower portion of the fuse link package P.

vWe claim:

- l. A package receptacle comprising a structure having walls for closing the receptacle at its top, sides, and ends, and open at its bottom, and displaceable means adapted to engage a package located within the receptacle so as to retain the package therein, said displaceable means comprising a resilient latch element secured at one of its ends within the receptacle to a wall thereof and provided with an abutment which is adapted to engage a bottom portion of the package located at one side only thereof, a portion of said resilient latch element being located at the open bottom of the receptacle where it may be engaged manually by a thumb or nger of an operators hand extended through the open bottom of the receptacle to displace a portion of said latch element including the abutment thereof and space being provided within said lower portion of said receptacle to permit such displacement of said portion of said latch.

2.,A package receptacle comprising a structure having walls for closing the receptacle at its top, sides, and ends, and having a flared lower portion which is open at the bottom of the receptacle, and displaceable means adapted to engage a package located within the receptacle so as to retain the package therein, said displaceable means comprising a resilient latch having an abutment which is adapted to engage a portion of a package disposed within the receptacle Atty and a portion of said latch being located within said flared lower portion of the receptacle to provide space for said latch portion to be moved to aiposition where the abutment of the latch is 'out of its package-engaging position.

3. A package receptacle comprising a structure having walls for closing the receptacle at its top, sides, and ends, and having a flared lower portion which is open at the bottom of the receptacle, and displaceable means adapted to engage ak package located Within the receptacle so as to retain the package therein, said displaceable means comprising a resilient latch which is secured to a wall of the receptacle at a point adjacent to the upper end of the resilient latch and a lower portion which is provided with an abutment that is adapted to engage a portion of a package disposed within the receptacle, said lower portion of said latch being located within the flared lower portion of the receptacle to pro.- vide space for said lower latch portion to be moved to a position where the abutment of the latch is out of its package-engaging position.

JOSEPH D, HOFFMAN. HARRY J. FEY. 

